Race of the Week: Race No. 7 at Santa Anita Park Feb. 24

by Bodog Racebook | Feb 22 2011

Eight horses will line up for Bodog’s Race of the Week on Feb. 24 at Santa Anita Park. It is an allowance race at 6 ½ furlongs over turf with a purse of $63,000. Among the 3-year-olds entered are Metropolitan Man, Diamond Geezah and Celestic Night.

Patrick Valenzuela will be aboard Metropolitan Man, a New York-bred gelding who will be running without blinkers for this race. Scratched from the San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 20, Metropolitan Man has instead been pointed to this allowance race by trainer Vladimir Cerin. Metropolitan Man impressed in his maiden-breaking victory, a 7 ¼ length romp over Keeneland’s all-weather track on April 22. However, in his next race – the Windsor Castle Stakes at Ascot on June 15 – he could only manage a ninth-place finish. He was second in his 2011 debut, an allowance optional claimer at Santa Anita Park on Jan. 13, in which he could not translate a sizable early lead into a victory. This front-running son of Hook and Ladder has looked comfortable at Santa Anita Park, turning in a 5 furlong workout in 1:01.40 on Feb. 12. He will look to build on his career 3-1-1-0 record and $36,700 for owners Holly and David Wilson.

Irish invader Diamond Geezah, trained by Mike Mitchell, will have blinkers on for this race. He raced exclusively in England for his 2010 campaign, scoring just one victory in eight attempts. In 2011, this son of Diamond Green managed a third-place performance in an allowance optional claimer at Santa Anita Park on Jan. 13, finishing behind Metropolitan Man. Joe Talamo again gets the call for owners Capen or Jungle Racing, looking to boost his mount’s $34,274 in earnings and career record of 9-1-2-2. Diamond Geezah’s latest workout was noted at Hollywood Park, a bullet 5-furlong work in 59.00 on Feb. 14.

Neil French trains Celestic Night, a Kentucky-bred who won that allowance optional claimer at Santa Anita Park on Jan. 13 by 2 ¼ lengths. A son of Vindication, Celestic Night took three tries to break his maiden; he finally did so by a head at Del Mar on Aug. 29. But subsequent attempts to move up in class – four consecutive stakes races – failed to produce another victory. Celestic Night is capable of turning in a big performance and he has looked good in workouts: he turned in a bullet 6-furlong workout at Santa Anita in 1:14.00 on Feb. 12.  He has $80,880 in career earnings and a record of 8-3-0-0. Martin Pedroza will again be aboard for owner Marco Gonzalez.

Also entered are Memen, Tale of Lucknfame, Easy Ticket, Machisa and Grand Maneuver.

Bet on Bodog’s Race of the Week with Bodog Racebook!